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Jin Y, Cai Q, Wang L, Ji J, Sun Y, Jiang J, Wang C, Wu J, Zhang B, Zhao L, Qi F, Yu B, Zhang J. Paracrine activin B-NF-κB signaling shapes an inflammatory tumor microenvironment in gastric cancer via fibroblast reprogramming. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2023; 42:269. [PMID: 37858201 PMCID: PMC10585924 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-023-02861-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Important roles of INHBB in various malignancies are increasingly identified. The underlying mechanisms in gastric cancer (GC) microenvironment are still greatly unexplored. METHODS The clinical significance of INHBB and the correlation between INHBB and p-p65 in GC were assessed through analyzing publicly available databases and human paraffin embedded GC tissues. The biological crosstalk of INHBB between GC cells and fibroblasts was explored both in vitro and in vivo. RNA-seq analyses were performed to determine the mechanisms which regulating fibroblasts reprogramming. Luciferase reporter assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation (CHIP) assay were used to verify the binding relationship of p65 and INHBB in GC cells. RESULTS Our study showed that INHBB level was significantly higher in GC, and that increased INHBB was associated with poor survival. INHBB positively regulates the proliferation, migration, and invasion of GC cells in vitro. Also, activin B promotes the occurrence of GC by reprogramming fibroblasts into cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). The high expression of INHBB in GC cells activates the NF-κB pathway of normal gastric fibroblasts by secreting activin B, and promotes fibroblasts proliferation, migration, and invasion. In addition, activin B activates NF-κB pathway by controlling TRAF6 autoubiquitination to induce TAK1 phosphorylation in fibroblasts. Fibroblasts activated by activin B can induce the activation of p65 phosphorylation of GC cells by releasing pro-inflammatory factors IL-1β. p65 can directly bind to the INHBB promoter and increase the INHBB transcription of GC cells, thus establishing a positive regulatory feedback loop to promote the progression of GC. CONCLUSIONS GC cells p65/INHBB/activin B and fibroblasts p65/IL-1β signal loop led to the formation of a whole tumor-promoting inflammatory microenvironment, which might be a promising therapeutic target for GC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangbing Jin
- Department of Oncology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 197 Ruijin er Road, 200025, Shanghai, China
| | - Qu Cai
- Department of Oncology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 197 Ruijin er Road, 200025, Shanghai, China
| | - Lingquan Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 197 Ruijin er Road, 200025, Shanghai, China
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 197 Ruijin er Road, 200025, Shanghai, China
| | - Jun Ji
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 197 Ruijin er Road, 200025, Shanghai, China
| | - Ying Sun
- Department of Oncology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 197 Ruijin er Road, 200025, Shanghai, China
| | - Jinling Jiang
- Department of Oncology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 197 Ruijin er Road, 200025, Shanghai, China
| | - Chao Wang
- Department of Oncology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 197 Ruijin er Road, 200025, Shanghai, China
| | - Junwei Wu
- Department of Oncology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 197 Ruijin er Road, 200025, Shanghai, China
| | - Benyan Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 197 Ruijin er Road, 200025, Shanghai, China
| | - Liqin Zhao
- Department of Oncology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 197 Ruijin er Road, 200025, Shanghai, China
| | - Feng Qi
- Department of Oncology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 197 Ruijin er Road, 200025, Shanghai, China
| | - Beiqin Yu
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 197 Ruijin er Road, 200025, Shanghai, China.
| | - Jun Zhang
- Department of Oncology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 197 Ruijin er Road, 200025, Shanghai, China.
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Chen Y, Qian B, Sun X, Kang Z, Huang Z, Ding Z, Dong L, Chen J, Zhang J, Zang Y. Sox9/INHBB axis-mediated crosstalk between the hepatoma and hepatic stellate cells promotes the metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma. Cancer Lett 2020; 499:243-254. [PMID: 33246092 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2020.11.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Revised: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and liver fibrosis in the peri-tumoral tissue contributes to the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the mechanisms underlying the crosstalk between hepatoma and peri-tumoral HSCs remain elusive. We found that the Sox9/INHBB axis is upregulated in HCC and is associated with tumor metastasis. Using gain- and loss-of-function approaches, we revealed that the Sox9/INHBB axis promotes the growth and metastasis of an orthotopic HCC tumor by activating the peri-tumoral HSCs. Mechanistically, Sox9 induces INHBB expression by directly binding to its enhancer, thus aiding in the secretion of activin B from hepatoma cells, and in turn, promoting the activation of the surrounding HSCs through activin B/Smad signaling. Furthermore, inhibition of activin B/Smad singaling attenuates the fibrotic response in the peri-tumoral tissue and decreases the incidence of metastasis. Finally, clinical analyses indicated a positive correlation between Sox9 and INHBB expression in HCC specimens and identified the Sox9/INHBB axis as a positive regulator of liver fibrosis. In conclusion, Sox9/INHBB axis-mediated crosstalk between hepatoma cells and HSCs induces a fertile environment favoring HCC metastasis, thereby exhibiting as a potential therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, PR China
| | - Baowei Qian
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, PR China
| | - Xiaolin Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, PR China
| | - Zhiqian Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, PR China
| | - Zhen Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, PR China
| | - Zhi Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, PR China
| | - Lei Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, PR China
| | - Jiangning Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Sciences and Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Life Sciences, Nanjing, 210093, PR China
| | - Junfeng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, PR China.
| | - Yuhui Zang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, PR China.
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Wang X, Tang P, Guo F, Zhang M, Chen Y, Yan Y, Tian Z, Xu P, Zhang L, Zhang L, Zhang L. RhoA regulates Activin B-induced stress fiber formation and migration of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cell through distinct signaling. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2016; 1861:3011-3018. [PMID: 27693126 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2016.09.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2016] [Revised: 09/04/2016] [Accepted: 09/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In our previous study, Activin B induced actin stress fiber formation and cell migration in Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) in vitro. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms are not well studied. RhoA is recognized to play a critical role in the regulation of actomyosin cytoskeletal organization and cell migration. METHODS Pull-down assay was performed to investigate the activity of RhoA. The dominant-negative mutants of RhoA (RhoA(N19)) was used to determine whether RhoA has a role in Activin B-induced cytoskeleton organization and cell migration in BMSCs. Cytoskeleton organization was examined by fluorescence Rhodamine-phalloidin staining, and cell migration by transwell and cell scratching assay. Western blot was carried out to investigate downstream signaling cascade of RhoA. Inhibitor and siRNAs were used to detect the role of downstream signaling in stress fiber formation and/or cell migration. RESULTS RhoA was activated by Activin B in BMSCs. RhoA(N19) blocked Activin B-induced stress fiber formation and cell migration. ROCK inhibitor blocked Activin B-induced stress fiber formation but enhanced BMSCs migration. Activin B induced phosphorylation of LIMK2 and Cofilin, which was abolished by ROCK inhibition. Both of siRNA LIMK2 and siRNA Cofilin inhibited Activin B-induced stress fiber formation. CONCLUSIONS RhoA regulates Activin B-induced stress fiber formation and migration of BMSCs. A RhoA-ROCK-LIMK2-Cofilin signaling node exists and regulates actin stress fiber formation. RhoA regulates Activin B-induced cell migration independent of ROCK. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE Better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of BMSCs migration will help optimize therapeutic strategy to target BMSCs at injured tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueer Wang
- Key Laboratory of Construction and Detection in Tissue Engineering of Guangdong Province, Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Pei Tang
- Key Laboratory of Construction and Detection in Tissue Engineering of Guangdong Province, Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Fukun Guo
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Children's Hospital Research Foundation, 3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Min Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Construction and Detection in Tissue Engineering of Guangdong Province, Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Yinghua Chen
- Key Laboratory of Construction and Detection in Tissue Engineering of Guangdong Province, Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Yuan Yan
- Key Laboratory of Construction and Detection in Tissue Engineering of Guangdong Province, Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Zhihui Tian
- Key Laboratory of Construction and Detection in Tissue Engineering of Guangdong Province, Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Pengcheng Xu
- Key Laboratory of Construction and Detection in Tissue Engineering of Guangdong Province, Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Lei Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Construction and Detection in Tissue Engineering of Guangdong Province, Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Lu Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Functional Proteomics of Guangdong Province, Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
| | - Lin Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Construction and Detection in Tissue Engineering of Guangdong Province, Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
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Li J, Darabi M, Gu J, Shi J, Xue J, Huang L, Liu Y, Zhang L, Liu N, Zhong W, Zhang L, Xing M, Zhang L. A drug delivery hydrogel system based on activin B for Parkinson's disease. Biomaterials 2016; 102:72-86. [PMID: 27322960 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2016.06.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2016] [Revised: 05/27/2016] [Accepted: 06/05/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases. Activins are members of the superfamily of transforming growth factors and have many potential neuroprotective effects. Herein, at the first place, we verified activin B's neuroprotective role in a PD model, and revealed that activin B's fast release has limited function in the PD therapy. To this end, we developed a multi-functional crosslinker based thermosensitive injectable hydrogels to deliver activin B, and stereotactically injected the activin B-loaded hydrogel into the striatum of a mouse model of PD. The histological evaluation showed that activin B can be detected even 5 weeks post-surgery in PD mice implanted with activin B-loaded hydrogels, and activin B-loaded hydrogels can significantly increase the density of tyrosine hydroxylase positive (TH(+)) nerve fibers and reduce inflammatory responses. The behavioral evaluation demonstrated that activin B-loaded hydrogels significantly improved the performance of the mice in the PD model. Meanwhile, we found that hydrogels can slightly induce the activation of microglia cells and astrocytes, while cannot induce apoptosis in the striatum. Overall, our data demonstrated that the developed activin B-loaded hydrogels provide sustained release of activin B for over 5 weeks and contribute to substantial cellular protection and behavioral improvement, suggesting their potential as a therapeutic strategy for PD.
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Chang HM, Cheng JC, Huang HF, Shi FT, Leung PCK. Activin A, B and AB decrease progesterone production by down-regulating StAR in human granulosa cells. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2015; 412:290-301. [PMID: 26001835 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2015.05.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2015] [Revised: 05/03/2015] [Accepted: 05/14/2015] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Activins are homo- or heterodimers of inhibin β subunits that play important roles in the reproductive system. Our previous work has shown that activins A (βAβA), B (βBβB) and AB (βAβB) induce aromatase/estradiol, but suppress StAR/progesterone production in human granulosa-lutein cells. However, the underlying molecular determinants of these effects have not been examined. In this continuing study, we used immortalized human granulosa cells (SVOG) to investigate the effects of activins in regulating StAR/progesterone and the potential mechanisms of action. In SVOG cells, activins A, B and AB produced comparable down-regulation of StAR expression and progesterone production. In addition, all three activin isoforms induced equivalent phosphorylation of both SMAD2 and SMAD3. Importantly, the activin-induced down-regulation of StAR, increase in SMAD2/3 phosphorylation, and decrease in progesterone were abolished by the TGF-β type I receptor inhibitor SB431542. Interestingly, the small interfering RNA-mediated knockdown of ALK4 but not ALK5 reversed the activin-induced suppression of StAR. Furthermore, the knockdown of SMAD4 or SMAD2 but not SMAD3 abolished the inhibitory effects of all three activin isoforms on StAR expression. These results provide evidence that activins A, B and AB down-regulate StAR expression and decrease progesterone production in human granulosa cells, likely via an ALK4-mediated SMAD2/SMAD4-dependent pathway. Our findings provide important insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the regulatory effects of activins on human granulosa cell steroidogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsun-Ming Chang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Child & Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6H 3V5, Canada
| | - Jung-Chien Cheng
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Child & Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6H 3V5, Canada
| | - He-Feng Huang
- The International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China; Institute of Embryo-Fetal Original Adult Disease Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Feng-Tao Shi
- The International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China; Institute of Embryo-Fetal Original Adult Disease Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China.
| | - Peter C K Leung
- The International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Child & Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6H 3V5, Canada.
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